Conveyer drier



P. M. WILLIAMS GONVEYBR DRIER Filed NOV. 29. 1927 3 SheetS-Sheet l Feb. 3, 1931.` p, M, wlLLlAMs 1,791,438

CONVEYER DRIER Filed Nov. 29. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 3, 1931. P. M. WILLIAMS l 1,791,438

` GONVEYER DRIER Filed Nov. 29, 1927 :s sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE IPATRICK- M. WILLIAMS, OF NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB T MOORE DRY KILN' FLORIDA COMPANY, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION O25' CONVEYER DRIER Application led November 29, 1927. Serial No. 286,502.

.A crates, etc., which are handled and dried quickly, usually from one to four hours. In

these constructions, the material is placed on the conveyer of an endless type and passed through the kiln as heated air is forced or otherwise allowed to circulate about the material being dried during its passage through the kiln, and by the time that it reaches the opposite end of the kiln, where it is removed from the endless conveyer, the material vis entirely dried. The time utilized for drying the material may be taken into consideration in regulating the speed of the conveyer so as to thoroughly dry. the material by the time it reaches the dry end of the kiln, because it is not intended to pass the material back through the kiln but that by the time it passes through the kiln once it yshall be thoroughly dried.

In the present invention, the heated air is forced up through the endless conveyer,

which is provided with openings therein to allow the air to pass in an upward direction, and is drawn into and through an air tunnel in the top of the kiln by means of a suction fan, from which it may be forced back into the bottom ot the kiln again to be recirculated or passed directly into the atmosphere.

The endless conveyer is provided with transverse supporting strips or angle-irons which are v carried along a series of longitudinal chains, but allowing spaces between these strips or angle irons for the passage of the heated air. Arranged beneath the uppermost portion of the conveyer are the heating coils of suitable structure, which heat the air as it passes upward from suitably arranged inletslalong the lower portion of the kiln. The air tunnel at the top of the kiln is adapted to receive the air from the main portion of the kiln, through graduated openings, the sides of which gradually decrease toward the dry end of the kiln.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through the complete drier, showing portions broken away;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the air tunnel;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal'sectional view through the kiln;v

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view; and Fig. 5 is a detail.

The numeral l indicates the main portionY of the kiln, which is in the form of a tunnel usually from eight to twent feet wide by one hundred to three hundred eet long. Mounted within the kiln arel a plurality of transverse I-beams 2, on which are mounted a centrai longitudinal I-beam 3, as shown in Fig. l. The upper face of this longitudinal I- beam 3 forms a guide-way for a conveyer chain. Chain guides 4 are also mounted at the opposite sides of the kiln 1, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. These chain guides 4 are in the form of angle-irons and may be suitably bolted in position through the'sides of the drier or otherwise secured.

Arranged at one end ofthe kiln is amain drive shaft 5, on which is mounted a driving sprocket 6, from' whichppower may be applied by any suitable form of driving motor or other device, the speed of which may be reduced by any suitable speed reducing gear (not shown).- Sprockets 7 are mounted on the drive shaft 5 and receive the sprocket chains 8, there being three shown in the drawings, which chains pass over these sprocket wheels and are driven therefrom. The opposite ends of the sprocket chains pass over similar sprocket wheels 9' mounted on a driven shaft 10 at the opposite end of the kiln, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which driven shaft 10 is suitably mounted in takeup blocks 11, provided for tightening the chains whenever desired.

Extending transversely across between the chains 8 but in spaced apart relation, as shown in Fig. 3, are a plurality of angleiron strips 12, which are adapted to receive and support the material being dried during its passage through the kiln. During the forward movement of the endless conveyer,the

chains 8 slide upon and are guided by the I- beam 3 and the chain guides 4, and in the relll turn movement the angle-iron strips 12 are 'i carried back upon the channel-iron-guides 13, which are arranged along the floor of the kiln, as shown in Fig. 4.

Arrangedbeneath the upper portion of the endless conveyer are suitable heating coils 14, which may be heated by steam or hot water for heating the interior of the kiln to dry the material carried therethrough upon the conveyer. Suitable air inlet openings 15 are arranged at points beneath the heating coils 14 for directing the incoming air up through these heating coils where it is heated thereby.

Arranged longitudinally of the top of the dry kiln is an air tunnel 16, having a bottom partition 17 therein which forms the ceiling of the kiln, which is provided with a plurality of graduated openings 18, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and 4. The size of these openings is graduated and gradually decreased toward the dry'end of the kiln, as shown in the drawings, to correspond with the suction or draft in the air tunnel. Also arranged transversely within the air tunnel 16 at suitable intervals are joists or framing 19. Preferably at the dry end of the kiln the air tunnel 16 is suitably enlarged and has a suction fan 20 mounted therein for drawing the air through the air tunnel 16 and likewise out of the main part of the kiln, in order to increase and force the natural circulation of air upward through the kiln, and from this fan 20 the air may be either passed into the atmosphere or directed back to the bottom of the kiln, as desired.

In the operation of the conveyer drier, the rotation of the drive shaft 5 causes a movement of the endless conveyer through the drying chamber 1 in the direction shown by the arrows in Fig. 1. The baskets, crates, etc., which are intended to be dried quickly, are placed on the supporting angle-irons 12 at the green end of the kiln, and the movement of the conveyer carries these continuously through the dry kiln to the dry end thereof, at which point they may be removed in a completely dried state.

The length of time required to dry the various articles being treated in the kiln may be taken into consideration in regulating the sneed at which the endless conveyer is driven. For instance, the drying of baskets usually requires an average time of one and a half hours, and therefore the speed of the endless conveyer may be so regulated that it will make a complete revolution in three hours, or that it will pass from one end of the kiln to the other in one and a half hours.

In this way, numerous loads may be dried daily and the movement may be continuous, according to the movement of the endless conveyer.

The air is drawn up through the kiln from the openings 15 in the lower portion thereof about the heating coils 14, which heat it to the desired and required condition, when the heated air passes up through the spaced apart angle-irons 12 which are carried by the baskets or crates, etc., and out through the openings 18 into the air tunnel 16 through which it is drawn by means of the fan 20. This fan creates a continuous suction in the air tunnel 16, which draws the air upward through the kiln, aiding its natural circulation which is in an upward direction, but forcing this circulation so as to constantly direct the air about the material being dried in order that it ma be in a completely dried state by the time t at it reaches the dry end of the kiln. Thus the air passes into the bottom of the kiln, where it is heated and then it is forced u ward around the material and out through t e top by means of the air tunnel there provided.

The suction fan increases the natural circulation of the air throu h the kiln, and the size of the outlets provi ed in the air tunnel is regulated according to the relation or nearness of these outlets to the suction fan, that is the ones. farthest from the fan being larger than the ones nearest to the fan. This provides an even suction of air upward through the entire kiln and throughout its length.

It will thus be seen that in this conveyer drier the heat and speed of the chain are evenly and uniformly controlled and the air isl uniformly admitted throughoutthe length of the drier and likewise uniformly withdrawn throughout the length of the drier thus creating a natural draft kiln plus a forced circulation. The latter supplements and increases the operationrof the former, but both work entirely in harmony.

I claim 1. vA, drier for wooden baskets or the like comprising an elongated drying chamber having the opposite ends thereof permanently open, an endless conveyer disposed in the lower portion of said open ends for continuously conveying relatively large objects therethrough, heating coils disposed beneath the upper run of said conveyer, means for admitting air to the space beneath the upper run of said conveyer, a tunnel arranged along the upper portion of the drying chamber and having spaced communication therewith, forced draft means Within the tunnel, and means for continuously driving the conveyer.

2. A drier for wooden baskets or the like comprising an elongated drying chamber, an endless conveyer extending entirely through the lower portion of the chamber and of slatted central portion, to permit the upward passage of air therethrough, heating pipes extending beneath the upper run of the endless conveyer and approximately throughout the length of the drying chamloo' (lib 

